93 



THE SECOND PHASE IN THE HISTORY OF 

 THE BOTANIC GARDENS, SINGAPORE. 



The history of the Botaiiie- Gardens from tlieir foundation in 

 1859 to the year 1874 was given in the last number of this Bul- 

 letin. Up to 1874 the Gardens had l)een the property of the Singa- 

 pore Agri-Horticultural Society, which beconiing unable to main- 

 tain them any- more in a fitting condition sought the Colonial 

 Government in that year with a request that tlieir property and 

 their del)ts upon it should be taken over, and the Gardens main- 

 tained out of public funds. To this the Government of the Settle- 

 ments agreed, placing the Kaffles Library and Museum Gomniittee 

 in charge until such time as the legislation which the case required 

 could be passed. Tlie legislation was passed in 1878 as the " Eaffles 

 Societies Ordinance, 1878"; and upon January 1st, 1879 a Com- 

 mittee consisting of the Colonial Secretary, the Colonial Engineer, 

 and one unofficial member (Mr. R. Campbell, who had been the 

 last Secretary of the Agri-Horticultural Society) assumed charge 

 of the Gardens for the Government. 



But for the four years from January 1st, 1875, to the end of 

 1878 the Gardens had already been carried on by means of Govern- 

 ment funds, and the Government had authorised the Raffles Library 

 and Museum Committee to apply to the Director of the Royal 

 Botanic Gardens, Kew, for a Superintendent. To them Sir Joseph 

 Hooker had sent out a very young man, Henry James Murton, son, 

 it seems, of a Cornish nurseryman : and he had arrived in Singa- 

 pore in Octol)er, 1875. He had halted in Ceylon on the way to- 

 visit the splendid (hardens there, and make his first acquaintance 

 with tropical conditions : and he arrived with lil)eral donations of 

 plants from tlience. 



He was too young to be over Xiven, who had been the Society's 

 Superintendent and now had the title of Manager, yet had to be 

 by the terms of his appointment: this difficulty however was solved 

 by Niven taking leave; and while on leave he unfortunately died. 

 Murton carried on alone for a short time when Xiven had gone, 

 until a Head (gardener was appointed from England, named George 

 Smith. Smith arrived in the early part of 1877; but died suddenly 

 in April, 1878. Next in succession, in June, 1879, Walter Fox 

 arrived from England, having been appointed by the Secretary, of 

 State to be Murton's second. For the care of the animals of the 

 Zoo Murton had had the help of one. H. Capel, but only from 

 some date in 1876 into 1877. 



The I)uildings in the Gardens when Murton came were, (i) 

 the house that he occupied which is now the Director's, (ii) an 

 orchid house, (iii) a shed with birds in it, and (iv) cooly lines. 



The roads were more numerous than now and narrower. They 

 M'ere not well surfaced, and their edges were limited l^y earth 

 drains : but as many of the visitors were horsemen out for exercise, 

 and visitors of this class had been more in preponderance when the 

 gates were open only to subscribers, a soft road was in some de- 

 gree suitable. The Main Gate Road was embanked along the 



